Evaluating the impact of a journal club activity on pharmacy students' learning outcomes and professional skills development.

Abstract

Background: Developing critical thinking, research, and presentation skills is essential for healthcare professionals. Structured educational activities, such as Journal Clubs, provide valuable opportunities to enhance these competencies. These skills are particularly important in preparing for future pharmacists and providing them with up-to-date information. This study evaluates the learning outcomes, perceptions, and feedback of undergraduate pharmacy students participating in a Journal Club activity, focusing on differences between 3rd and 5th -year students.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 207 undergraduate pharmacy students from the 3rd and 5th years at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Students were paired, provided with structured guidelines, and tasked with analyzing and presenting research articles. Emphasis was placed on research related to the topics covered in the pharmacology or hospital pharmacy courses the students were taking in that semester. Data was collected via a validated survey covering general experience, learning outcomes, perceptions, and feedback. Statistical analyses included Fisher's Exact Test, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and Cronbach's alpha, using RStudio (version 2024.9.1.394, Boston, MA, USA) with R version 4.4.2.

Results: A majority (89.4%) reported acquiring new knowledge, and 77.7% noted increased confidence in critically evaluating research. Fifth-year students reported higher critical thinking (58.4% vs. 42.3%, p = 0.031) and presentation skills (72.7% vs. 50.8%, p = 0.002). Strong correlations were observed between learning outcomes and perceptions (R = 0.743, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The Journal Club effectively promoted critical thinking, research, and presentation skills. Differences between academic years highlight the need to adapt activities to student levels.